[Interview] 2012 GSL S3 CodeA R2 D1

You have advanced Code A round 3. Do you see a shot at Code S?

Just one more win now. I think it’s possible. This season, I had health problems so it wasn’t exactly favourable for me and I was very worried.

Did your match being played ahead of schedule affect you?

It couldn’t be helped because forGG forfeited. If I were to be honest, I couldn’t really adjust for it. I prefer evening matches to afternoon matches.

How do you rate your play today?

I’m usually better. However, the match being an official one, I didn’t play my best. On the other hand, I was able to predict my opponent’s timings and tricks. I think today’s match was the best official one I’ve had in a while.

There are many games now where the Terran kills the Zerg in the late game.

Going by how I do in practice, it’s still hard for Terran to beat Zerg. However, there are more factors to consider in an official match. I saw Symbol vs Byun in the dual tournament of OSL last night. I also find Broodlord/Infestor very difficult to deal with. Despite losing, Byun played extremely well. That’s not to say Symbol didn’t play amazingly.

Yugioh is an overly aggressive player.

I’ve beaten him once. He likes pool first openings so I thought a greedy opening would put me ahead.

Your next opponent is Keen. Are you confident?

I believe TvT is a battle of confidence. If I work hard, I should win.

How would you feel if you made it straight into Code S?

Code S is a place I dream of. I think I’ll feel similar to when I first got into Code A. Getting into Code S may even raise my ranking within the team. Being a foreign team, it places a lot of importance on tournament results.

Anything to add?

The team manager and teammates cheered me on. I’m so happy that the team is like a family even though it’s a foreign team. I want to thank my practice partners also.

You have reached Code A Round 3. Do you see a shot at Code S?

The furthest I’ve ever gotten is Round 2. This is my first time in Round 3 so I want to make it through to Code S no matter what. However, I feel like I will stuff up if I am too impatient. I will stay calm and prepare thoroughly.

You lost in Round 2 last season and subsequently in the Up and Downs.

The memories keep coming back. Last season’s Round 2 was also a TvT and in the afternoon. I wasn’t playing very well at the time so I hope to show my best this season. That’s why I am working harder than ever.

Do you feel like you have improved significantly?

I am certain I have improved since practising more. However, I’m still not showing my full potential in official matches. Even today was only 40-50% of what I could be.

You’ll have to show Code S level play to get into Code S though.

I can’t guarantee it but in Round 3, that will be the case. I want to use my next match to prove that I am Code S worthy.

Your former team Zenex has been acquired by Startale.

I was befuddled at first. As soon as we learned of the news, my teammates started laughing at me (laugh). I only know Coach Yoon, Line, Life and Sparta but since it’s my former team, I was very happy.

Do you feel like this will help Startale?

I think Life in particular will be a great help. Our team is lacking in Zergs at the moment and he is a fantastic addition. Of course, other races will benefit also.

Your next opponent is either JYP or Thorazin. Who do you think will advance?

I don’t know much about either player’s TvP or PvT so I can’t be sure. However, I would personally bet on JYP. When I see JYP in practice, his PvT is solid. As long as he shows the same level of play in official matches, he can definitely advance.

Anything to add?

I want to thank Sound and Bomber for helping out with practice. I want to thank the sponsors Joygear, Zowie, RedBull and BenQ. Bomber is playing in the afternoon match so I really hope he follows suit and does well. Tomorrow, Curious, Ace, Parting and Life play so I hope they all win.

You have reached Code A Round 3. How do you feel?

I feel great. I think everything is going according to my plan. Sniper has been doing really well lately so on one hand, I was quite worried. He’s a player I learn a lot from and acknowledge so this was a big hurdle for me. Still, it’s fortunate that I was able to take the match without much trouble.

Your ZvZ is looking solid.

I believe it’s my second best match up after ZvP. ZvT is still a bit hard. It may have something to with my personality but I tend to be rather simplistic in my play so ZvT is not easy. I think I need to cut that out. I rely on my intuition for ZvZ and that tends to work out most of the time. I was confident in my ZvZ back in Starcraft 1 as well. I usually don’t make big mistakes or panic. I believe that I can take on any top Zerg in a macro game.

Your next opponent is Genius, a Protoss. You must be confident.

He’s such a great player so I will have to prepare thoroughly. I believe he’s the only one who stands between me and Code S. Of course, I will have another shot in Up and Downs but I want to have a clean run into Code S. Genius is one of the top Protosses so I want to show solid games with good preparation.

Symbol is losing more recently

He’d been doing way too well. He was hardly losing so even one or two losses can seem like a slump. I’m not too worried. He’s just as brilliant in practice and he’s not a player who will make a blip and disappear. That goes for all my teammates. It’s their mindset on the stage that I worry about and not their skill. Symbol doesn’t seem too worried himself.

Is the preparation for GSTL going well?

We’ve got our basic structure down so now it’s time to work on the finer detail. Leaving the matter of confidence aside, this is a match we have to win. Every progamer has their own sense of confidence. I am the same and if I get sent out, I will work hard so that I get multiple kills no matter what.

What is the biggest difference between when you played Starcraft 1 and Starcraft 2

It’s the freedom. There are more opportunities. You don’t have to obsess about every single match. The pressure in Starcraft 1 was huge because there weren’t many tournaments. However, in Starcraft, there are plenty of online tournaments on top of foreign tournaments. This can have the negative effect of taking away our drive but so far, it’s had more positive effects by providing us with freedom and more opportunities. Of course, I can’t say the same for GSTL (laugh).

Anything to add?

I want to thank my teammates for helping me with practice. It’s only a few more days since ro4 of GSTL so we will work extremely hard so we can advance. I hope the fans cheer us on a lot.

You have advanced to Code A Round 3. How do you feel?

I feel great having beaten a former champion in Jjakji. I wasn’t too fussed but other people made a big deal out of it that I would be facing a champion.

You fell from Code S ro32 in third place and this must have disappointed you badly

Playing in Code S makes you much more nervous on top of there being other differences. I thought it’d be the same but the actual experience was unexpected.

What was the biggest difference?

It was the pressure of playing in a Code S match. Even if two players have the same level of skill, the difference in experience can definitely decide the outcome.

You started by losing the first set. The strategy was totally unexpected by you.

I was deficient in my play. I should have considered the possibility of a counter strategy as my play is very one-dimensional but failed to do so. I simply did not see such an attack coming my way.

Do you believe that your monotonous play style is a disadvantage?

Yes. That’s why I tried to vary up my play for today.

Your forges stayed in your builds though.

It’s hard to win without them. It’s basically standard now. However, my upgrade based Protoss has gotten a lot weaker since its induction.

You must want to get into Code S next season.

I think I have a 99% chance. There are two people I could potentially face in Round 3 and both are easier than Jjakji. I can beat either one.

How do you see the Up and Downs?

It will be more difficult there. However, I am fully confident I won’t lose in Round 3.

Anything to add?

I want to thank the Terran players who helped with practice. I also want to thank Tear who helped prepare for today’s matches. I also want to thank my friend Nagi (T/N: Korean name was Song Gwang Ho = Nagi in TLPD) I hope Byun, who is playing in ro4 of Code S, wins so our team gets to go to Hae Woon Dae beach. Lastly, I want to thank our sponsor Tt-eSports.

You have reached Code A Round 3 so how do you feel?

There’s a more important match coming up so rather than rejoicing, I can’t help but keep thinking about that match. Even now, my mind is on GSTL ro4. I want to get rid of the memories of last season’s defeat.

Your opponent was Bomber. Wasn’t it hard to prepare for him?

I feel that I was lucky in my wins. Honestly, I got hardly any preparation done and just came with builds I normally use. However, having done little preparation, there was no pressure to deal with and that worked in my favour.

You seem solid on the mental side after your three kills in GSTL.

I now do better in practice as well. The game has become fun. Tournaments are definitely more fun than they used to be. I’m having more fun than ever.

Didn’t you have a chance to take Set 2?

I didn’t expect my opponent to have such a big army. Going for his expansions was a mistake on my part. If I had simply gone straight to his production, I would have won.

In Set 3, your banshee was the hero

I actually wasn’t planning on that kind of play. Then in Sets 1 and 2, I saw that Bomber wasn’t producing any vikings. An expansion on the high ground keeps you safe so I tried to go for a timing and it worked perfectly. As soon as I had air dominance with the vikings, I knew I was ahead but I had lost so many hellions that I couldn’t be sure of the win.

Your next opponent is Squirtle.

He’s difficult to beat with standard play. I think I have to mix in just enough unpredictable play to stand a chance.

Is the preparation for GSTL ro4 going well?

It’s going rather well. However, we now have one less day than originally planned. The fact that it’s held one day sooner on Friday worries me slightly.

Anything to add?

GSTL doesn’t have long to go. I hope all FXO players work together for great results. I haven’t seen my parents in a long time so I want to say I love them. My younger sibling too. Lastly, I want to thank our sponsors Razer and FXO as well as GomTV.

You have advanced to Code A Round 3. How do you feel?

Honestly, I went into the match quite laidback. There’s still the Up and Downs and the fact that MKP is waiting for me in Round 3 made it hard for me to be fired up. Victory or defeat, I can’t win either way.

Have you recovered from the shock of falling from Code S ro32 in last place?

Not yet. I think I will be okay once I beat MKP in Round 3. I lost to MVP in ro32 so I need to beat someone of that calibre to overcome this shock.

You now play under the banner of Starttale.

When I heard the news, I thought ‘Ah, finally’. It did leave me sad about the fact that Zenex couldn’t make it. However, that’s to be left behind. I now get to play in a much better environment so I feel like it’s up to me to post better results. I believe this is a new opportunity.

Your builds were peculiar today

I thought that my opponent wouldn’t be able to defend the Nydus play in Set 1 even if he saw it coming. But then, I backed off with my units too early and threw the game away. I put a lot of faith in that build so it was a shame. I earlier said that I would use a build that is foolproof and that was it in Set 1. I was supposed to pressure the natural and then assault the main but I backed off too early.

You were hit with a cannon rush in Set 2 and fell behind.

When I saw the two sentries, I thought my counter might just work. I think my opponent got a bit careless. Protosses tend to move all their units from the entrance of their base when they see an overlord they can kill. They just do.

In Set 3, you went from a failed 6 pool to a proxy creep tumour attack.

That’s the build I failed with in Round 2 of last season. Back then, the zerglings were too late but it went fine today. Up to where the first creep tumour is established, the build has been mapped out. After that, it needs more figuring out. My mutalisks were a tad bit late today.

You are becoming quite the stylistic player

I wanted to prove that my build from last season’s Round 2 was viable.

You will now face MKP in Round 3. Will you show your love for roaches once again?

I will decide after I’ve tried it a few more times in practice. If I feel that it’s no longer viable, I will prepare something else. By all means, raise your expectations. It could blow your mind. MKP is a weirdo so I have to one-up him.

Anything to add?

I want to say the names of the players who helped with practice: Brain, my teammate, Min, Choong Gi, who helped despite being an amateur, and Kim, Kang Min who helped with the strategic side. As much as I am now part of Startale, I promise to show better games from now on.

You have finally succeeded in taking down a Terran in a multiple game series

I was really behind in the game that just ended and nothing went right for me. However, I take solace in the fact that I won. I forced my way through it but in the end, a win is a win. I feel stupid for having been so terrible at PvT all this time.

You won but your play was nothing to be proud of

I was terrible in general. I tried to come up with winning builds but this backfired on me by filling my head with unnecessary thoughts and making me play in a weird fashion. I should have played a more macro oriented style but I got too impatient.

It did feel like you were being rushed in your games

Cella said something similar. He said that if it were PvZ, my play would have been more smooth and immaculate but my PvT seemed so frustrating. I think I need to overcome this as soon as possible. I will practise harder and try to keep a calm mindset.

Just your luck, you face Hack, a Terran, in Round 3

Honestly, I was impatient because of the fact that my winrate for PvT in terms of multiple game series has been zero. I think I will be more relaxed for my next match. As long as I do this, I think my opponent is someone whom I can beat.

This Round 3 seems crucial for you. Falling to Up and Downs will be devastating.

Definitely. I believe Hack is about the same level as Thorzain so I will try to be flexible. Even if I lose, it will be fine as long as I play like I want to but if not, it may affect me in the Up and Downs later on.

Thorzain is your teammate. Did you mind the fact that it would be a team kill?

I don’t talk to foreign players much yet and it hasn’t been long since Thorzain has joined us. So the team kill aspect didn’t bother me much.

How are you getting along with the foreign players?

You have to live and practise together to form a bond so it’s not like that yet. However, we do represent the same team and in foreign tournaments, they are the ones I seek out. I am grateful for the fact that they are so accommodating.

What did you feel whilst watching Code S?

Bitter. I expected myself to do well and was in fact doing well in practice when I first entered Code S. Then, I was out for one season and developed this PvT disorder which gained me a lot of anti-fans. Even my PvZ seemed to be under attack. The only way out is to go to Code S and prove myself.

Anything to add?

Since Code A was changed to the ro48 format, I haven’t ever gotten past Round 2. Even in foreign tournaments like MLG, I keep losing to the same timings over and over. Still, I feel great about the fact that I’m advancing to Round 3. I have a friend called Seo, Dong Joo who is in the army and he keeps urging me to come visit. I will make sure to do so once my schedule frees up a bit.